Razor with adjustable guard



Dec. 8, 1953 M. J. SHNITZLER RAZOR WITH ADJUSTABLE GUARD Filed July 17, 1948 Patented Dec. 8, 1953 RAZOR WITH ADJUSTABLE GUARD Meyer J. Shnitzler, Brookline, Mass., assignor to The Gillette Company, a corporation ,of Delaware Application July 17, 1948, Serial No. 39,306

4 Claims.

This invention relates to safety razors wherein a thin, sharp-edged blade is presented in shaving position between cooperating blade-clamping members.

The general object of the invention is to provide such a razor with means under the convenient control of the user for varying and regulating the edge exposure of the blade. This is a critical factor in obtaining smooth and satisfactory shaving. The optimum edge exposure is different for different users, for different blades and for different shaving conditions. Accordingly, the present invention contemplates a razor construction wherein adjustment of edge exposure may be made conveniently at any time, even without interrupting the shaving operation if desired.

A more specific object of .the invention is to provide means for such adjustment of edge exposure in safety razors of the magazine type, that is to say, razors constructed and arranged to receive fresh blades presented mechanically from a magazine and wherein the blade-clamping members are arranged to be temporarily separated to receive a fresh blade and then moved or restored to their operative blade-clamping position.

With these objects in view, a feature of the invention consists in a safety razor construction comprising opposed blade-clamping members,

one of which may carry an edge guard, in combination with a second edge guard adjustably mounted upon the other of the blade-clamping members. Preferably, and as herein shown, the adjustable edge guard is constructed and arranged for adjustment independently of the blade-clamping action of the clamping members. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the adjustable edge guard is shaped partially to enclose one of the blade-clamping members with suificient clearance to permit full range of ad justing movement without in any way disturbing the clamping member with which the guard is associated.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are views of the razor in side and rear elevation, respectively;

Fig. 3 is a view of the razor head in longitudinal section and on a greatly enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the razor head on the same scale as Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the adjustable guard member. I r

The invention is herein shown as embodied in a safety razor utilizing a thin, single-edged blade,

. which is held in flat position by the blade-clampadaption to razors utilizing a blade which is flexed in shaving position.

The illustrated razor comprises a handle 40, having a projecting shank to which are permanently secured by a rivet ll, three sheet-metal members, viz. a main support I2; a spring l3; and an adjustable guard member [4. At its upper end, the main supporting member [2 is provided with a forwardly and downwardly-extending flange l 5 which constitutes the upper blade-clamping member. A tongue I6 is struck out of the metal of the member [2, being struck forwardly and downwardly to form a permanent connectionwith an angular member I! which is also turned downwardly and forwardly at its upper end and constitutes the lower of the two blade-clamping members.

member I1 and tends at all times to press this member yieldingly toward the rear and to bring the lugs I9 and the blade 20 positioned thereby into the proper shaving position. The rear edge of the blade bears against a pair of ears or lugs. projecting into the vertex angle of the member The upper portion of the main support I2 is offset rearwardly above the tongue l6 so as to provide an elongated rectangular space 2| between the rear face of the blade-supporting member l1 and the front face of the main support [2. The razor is customarily employed with a maga- .zine having a pilot projection shaped to be forcibly inserted into the space 2| and thus to separate the two blade-clamping members by springing them apart and thus temporarily to release the blade from the lugs l9 so that it may be removed and replaced by a fresh blade.

The upper edge-guard member [4 is provided at its upper end with a flat downwardly and forwardly extending portion 23, which is shaped to engage the upper face of the blade 20 and cooperate with the lower edge-guard Is in protecting the shaving edge of the blade. The edge exposure of the blade, which in practice may vary The flange of the member I! is ex tended downwardly and forwardly in a curve to The forwardly and downwardly-extending por=-= tion of the edge guard 23 is provided with.a.rec.--

tangular recess or window 24, shaped t'ore'ceive with substantial clearance: thexuppenwibladesa clamping member l5 whichxfii's about.:tne='-samethickness as the guard as will be apparent from Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the-shankportionsofthe upper guard I4 is provided with an aperture 25 through which extends an adjusting screw 22 threaded into a bushing located in the upper portion. of the; shank. of the.-handlel=ll-and headedi to serve as an additional fastening for the main-sup.-

portingmember l2. and the'springai-sofethe razor.

Theaedgerguard; M. is made; of spring metal]. and:

tends, always to-.spring .rearwardly towarda position.otmaxirnum-edgeexposura; However, by

turning-.the adjusting screw-21in: a clockwise di-. nection-,. the. edge=guar.d.may beadvanced and theedge exposure of the blade correspondingly re. dueed. The .window 2k of the edgeeguard is-of suchedimensions that it. clearsthe upper bladeclamping eflange, l5 and-may be givenaitsxtull.

b'ers. effected. by inserting. thepilot of the magp e OIL this, account, it will be.

zine in the space}.2|.- apparentthat. th adjusting-screw 2-2; may. be

manipulated by, .the .user of- .the' razor at; any time to.-. effect. of varying. edge. exposures ;ascertamedlduring the shaving operation,

. Hailingv yhiisudisclosed my inventionand, :de--. scribed in;....detail. an illustrative. embodiment thereoi I c1aim;.as..new and desireltosecure Lett rs ffatentz 1.. A. safety. razor comprising upper and lower anglilaramiembers. presenting; forwardly. a-nd domwardly, extending blade-clamping members; a.'-..blade1clamped.v between said members;, b1a-de;

locating (lugs. on-thelowerof. said'members, an

upperguard. member having a. fiat portion-oven 1 lyin the. blade andtproy-ided-ewith a. rectangular window surrounding with clearance :the- 'blQidGF;

On the other hancl,,the-

4 engaging portion of the upper angular member, and threaded adjusting means for shifting said guard member without disturbing the engagement of said upper and lower blade-clamping members.

2. A safety razor comprising a blade, superposed forwardly opening blade-clamping members. of'whi'ch thetlower-is extended to provide a lower guard for "the bladeedge and the upper of which terminates at a distance behind the blade edge, an upper guard for the blade edge having-a fiatblade-engaging portion provided with a window that surrounds the blade-engaging.portioniiofltheuupper blade-clamping memberyand an adjustable connection between said upper guard and -t'he blade-clamping member surrounded. thereby whereby the relative position of the two may be varied to adjust the edge expe'sure of the blade.

3. A safety razor including in its structure upper andv lower; blade-clampingmembers, a blade clamped at its opposite; faces between said mem. bers,; stops on one member for determinmgwa: fixed relation between it and the blade eds-. and. an edge guard adjustably mounted in: the razor and having a flat-portion provided with. a win-- dow in which: is received with clearancethe upper of. said 'blade clamping members; whereby: the edge; guard may be, adjusted;.withoutqdisx turbing. the: clamping engagement; of either'mexm' her with. the; blade;

4. A. safety razor including: its:.-structure:a. blade-ea lower member havingamiextendedsfiat; blade seat. and a. lower; edge;guard: portiom. upper edge. guard engagingthe; upper face; the blade behindrits. .cuttingedge' andi'hayingram elongated window. therein; and aniuppembladeclamping. member having a. portion movable. wit-h in. saidxwindow and engaging: file-blade in a. zone.- behind the. upper guard, andrmeansfor adiiusiies ing the upper guard: toward; or from the: bladeeaengagingehportion ofnthe upper: bladesclamping member; and airthe same 1 time": towardorofrom= theaedge ofltheixblaiie. clainpdther'eby;

J..'.-SI-IINITZTJERC.

ReferenceszrGiteda in thefilenof this-patent:

UNITED" s'rzrrns -P-A-TENTS Number Name. Date.

847,782 Kampie: Mar... 19,...1901. 1 ,0:00235 carreras Aug. 8,. 19.11,. 1,524,116 Triantafilldu .Ja'n. 2.7., 1912's.v 21068385 Stanley Jan- 19,1931; 

